[Front Page] [Contents] [Previous] [Next] Sector-integrated Environmental Assistance Growing transport needs spell environmental problemsPolitical changes and the market-oriented trend seen through the 1990s have magnified transport needs in the Baltic States, causing a number of environmental problems ranging from noise pollution to increased CO2 discharge. Consequently, the Ministry of Transport has launched actual environmental projects aimed at contributing to sustainable development in the transport field in the Baltic States and north-western Russia. Target areas 1999 saw the launch of two projects. One provide assistance to developing equipment able to measure external costs, i.e. the environmental load, of transport in Estonia and Russia (St. Petersburg). The other project grants aid to developing procedures to assess impacts on the environment (EIA) in relation to transport projects in Latvia and Lithuania. DKK 8m has been earmarked for the two projects scheduled to run to the end of 2001. In addition, the Ministry plans to realise a project identification programme in year 2000. Based on thorough studies of recipient countries' needs, the Ministry of Transport will in the first half of 2000 set up a multi-annual programme with a range of actual project proposals. The proposals will be tendered in the autumn for launching in the year 2001, when the transport area is expected to apply for a considerably bigger chunk of the total resources available. Obvious project areas Future projects will be selected on the basis of recipient
countries' own prioritising, in close cooperation with
the Danish expertise in the fields of transport and the environment. Thus, activities may
be targeted at many different problem complexities. Additional information Information on the transport-related part of sector-integrated environment assistance is available from: Ministry of Transport
New paths out of negative environmental spiral In the Eastern European countries around the Baltic Sea road haulage has in recent years grown constantly at the expense of the more environmental-friendly freight transport by rail or water. Changes between various modes of transport in the former East Bloc countries often require all-new transport documentation, which slows down changes. This causes delays as soon as changes are performed between modes of transport. To this should be added contrasting duty regulations in the Baltic States and Russia, giving rise to additional delays to freight transport between the various countries. More equipment increases environmental load Such problems heighten the environmental load in the region. Where transport equipment is not utilised ideally, it becomes necessary to use more equipment to transport the same freight volumes. But more equipment just puts a heavier load on the transport system, resulting in even more delays along the route at border crossings and changes to other modes of transport. This development creates a negative environmental spiral, which has only worsened in the Baltic region in the course of the 1990s. Danish activities Denmark has provided sector-integrated environment assistance to three projects aimed at turning the negative development in the transport area. Two of the projects were to smoothen customs processing in Estonia and Russia (St. Petersburg), while a third project in Estonia is to promote multi-modal transport via, e.g., ships and railroads. The objectives of the projects were to optimise the utilisation of transport equipment without investing in new infrastructure. Concluded by the end of 1999, the three projects comprised, e.g., training local authorities and companies to enable them to follow up their experience from the projects. [Front Page] [Contents] [Previous] [Next] [Top] |